The Bay Area News Group reports the 47-year-old Leite admitted to campus investigators that she had a sexual relationship with 31-year-old Jonathan Caniezo. His salary rose from about $40,000 in 2005 to $120,000 in 2010.

After the affair was discovered, the university demoted Leite and reduced her salary from $188,000 to $175,000.

UC Berkeley's decision to fire her comes after faculty members complained that punishment was too lenient and demanded her termination.